Armstrong School District directors discussed the school openings at their monthly meeting last night. while there has been some concern about the readiness of the classrooms, administrators gave the green light to the Board.
Teachers in the Armstrong School District return to their classrooms today, but are leery about what they will find.
Support staff is working to get furniture back into classrooms at Ford City Jr.-Sr. High School, Kittanning Sr. High School and Elderton Jr.-Sr. High School before students are scheduled to begin classes tomorrow after summer asbestos abatement tore up walls and floors.
ASD Facilities and Property Services Director William Henley said maintenance staff is working around the clock to ensure classrooms are set up before students return to classes tomorrow.
Facilities and Property Services Director William Henley updated school directors at their regular monthly meeting last night.
Beginning in Ford City, Henley is optimistic.
“We were still moving some furniture up on the third floor on the alley-side of the building, but there’s a good chance that will be completed tonight,” Henley said. “We have a little bit of tweaking, but that facility’s in pretty good shape and ready to open, I believe, by Wednesday morning.”
Henley said crews are working day and night to prepare Elderton and Kittanning, but that Elderton is further along.
“We had a considerable crew up there moving furniture – a majority of the classrooms are set up as of what I saw today. They are still working this evening and working into tomorrow to try and finish up those classrooms,” Henley said. “I’m sure there’s going to be some areas that are going to need to be attended to come Wednesday morning, but hopefully we’ll be ready to go.”
“When I visited Kittanning, there was still a considerable amount of furniture left in the gymnasium,” Henley said.
Complications with the high school elevator limited moving furniture to the second floor, so crews concentrated on the first floor classrooms and successfully completed the administration offices, hallways and cafeteria.
Henley will try to make up for lost time by diverting additional staff to the high school today.
“I have redirected as much staff as I have available to assist at Kittanning High School,” Henley said. “I’m going to utilize whatever staff I can to try and finish Kittanning [today].”
Henley added that the seven elementary schools and Kittanning Junior High are ready for classes to begin.
School Board Director Chris Choncek said teachers and parents are concerned.
“I’ve been hearing a lot of concerns from teachers that they won’t be ready, the classrooms won’t be ready – the students, yes, school’s are going to open on time – but probably, realistically, there’s going to be time spent on unpacking and organizing while the kids are there on Wednesday,” Choncek said. “That’s a concern for the teachers and it’s obviously going to be a concern for the parents, so I want to relay those concerns to the administration because there could be some backlash, especially if the kids get in there on Wednesday and are not being educated, but sitting there while teachers are continuing to get ready for school.”
Director James Rearic visited the high schools and is also nervous.
“I was at both the schools today, too, and I think you guys are being very overly-optimistic,” Rearic said. “The amount of stuff that I saw in Kittanning’s gym is substantial, and to have 48 hours before you’re going to put kids in that building…good luck.
“The people I see down there working are busting their hump – they’re moving – but it seems as though its too much; there’s too much work, not enough people, not enough time to get this thing done,” Rearic said. “I hope I’m wrong.”
Board Vice-President James Solak is optimistic the added crews will make a difference at Kittanning Sr. High.
“I think you’ll see some remarkable progress because they do work hard and if you are pulling people from other buildings, you’re doubling and tripling your work staff so let’s wait till Wednesday and find out,” Solak said.
The school board meeting will be rebroadcast today at 1PM on WTYM Radio AM 1380.
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